Crash Warning as Report into DC Disaster at Reagan Airport Is Released > 자유게시판

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Federal investigators have raised concerns of a potential for another lethal aircraft crash at Reagan National Airport, after a midair collision previously this year killed 67.

The National Transportation Safety Board provided an upgrade on their examination into the reason for the catastrophe which happened on January 29 in Washington.

An American Airlines jetliner and a Black Hawk military helicopter clashed in midair over the Potomac River, killing everybody on board both airplanes.

As part of a preliminary report released on Tuesday, detectives raised issues of more crashes including helicopters at the airport.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said: 'We remain worried about the substantial potential for future mid-air collision at DCA.'

Her issues revolve around Transport Secretary Sean Duffy moving to restrict helicopter traffic around the area, but that is set to cease at the end of the month.

When police, medical or presidential transportation helicopters must utilize the space civilian planes are stopped from remaining in the very same location.

Homendy stated the NTSB is now suggesting that the FAA find a 'permanent service' for detours for helicopters when two of the airport's runways are in use.

Emergency systems respond after a passenger airplane clashed with a helicopter in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia

Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) Jennifer Homendy speaks with press reporters about the 29 January mid-air crash

It was also exposed on Tuesday that there was warning signs in the lead up to the lethal catastrophe.

Those probing the crash went through 944,179 operations in between October 2021 and December 2024.

It was uncovered that 15,214 'near-miss occasions' of planes getting signals about helicopters being in close proximity in between October 2021 and December 2024.

The NTSB also stated that there were 85 cases where 2 aircraft where laterally divided by less than 1,500 feet, and a vertical separation of less than 200 feet.

Homendy included: 'That data from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) might have utilized that info whenever to determine that we have a trend here and a problem here, and looked at that path; that didn't happen, which is why we're taking action today. But sadly, individuals lost lives, and loved ones are grieving.'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed these findings at a later press conference on Tuesday.

Duffy said: 'I think the concern is when this data can be found in how did the FAA not understand. How did they not study the data to state "hey, this is a hot spot, we are having near misses out on and if we do not change our methods we are gon na lose lives".'

He included: 'That wasn't done, maybe there was a focus on something besides safety.'

Duffy would later on added when questioned by a press reporter about the near misses that the information had 'p *** ed him off'.

Pictured: Parts of the wreckage seen being in the Potomac River after Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, eliminating 67 individuals

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Investigators believe that the helicopter associated with the crash might have had unreliable elevation readings in the minutes before the crash.

The accident likely took place at an elevation simply under 300 feet, as the airplane came down towards the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limit for that place.

On Tuesday American Airlines welcomed the report by the NTSB, saying: 'We're grateful for the National Transportation Safety Board's immediate safety suggestions to restrict helicopter traffic near DCA and for its thorough examination.

'We will continue to coordinate carefully with PSA Airlines as it cooperates as an investigative celebration member.'

The helicopter pilots may have likewise missed out on part of another communication, when the tower stated the jet was turning toward a various runway, Homendy stated last month.

The helicopter was on a 'check' flight that night where the pilot was going through an annual test and a test on using night vision goggles, Homendy stated.

Investigators think the crew was using night vision goggles throughout the flight.

The Army has stated the Black Hawk team was extremely experienced, and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nation ´ s capital.

At the time of the accident, a single air traffic controller was at the same time keeping track of both the helicopter and airplane traffic.

Those jobs are normally dealt with between 2 individuals from 10am up until 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New York Times.

Those tasks are generally dealt with between two people from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to the report.

Surveillance footage drawn from inside the airport captured the moment the 2 clashed in midair

At the time of the crash, a single air traffic controller was all at once keeping track of both the helicopter and aircraft traffic. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is seen here

After 9:30 pm the duties are normally integrated and left to someone as the airport sees less traffic later in the night.

A manager reportedly chose to combine those responsibilities before the arranged cutoff time nevertheless, and enabled one air traffic controller to leave work early.

The FAA report stated that 'was not typical for the time of day and volume of traffic'.

Reagan National has been understaffed for several years, with just 19 totally licensed controllers since September 2023 - well listed below the target of 30 - according to the most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.

The circumstance appeared to have actually enhanced considering that then, as a source informed CNN the Reagan National control tower was 85 percent staffed with 24 of 28 positions filled.

Chronic understaffing at air traffic control towers is nothing brand-new, with widely known causes consisting of high turnover and spending plan cuts.

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In order to fill the spaces, controllers are regularly asked to work 10-hour days, six days a week.

After the release of the report, former Inspector General of the US Department of Transportation Mary Schiavo considered the findings as 'unusual'.

She stated: 'This NTSB action is extremely unusual. The release of an emergency suggestion requesting the FAA take immediate action, before the conclusion of the NTSB investigation is unusual.'

The two airplane had actually collided in a substantial fireball that showed up on dashcams of vehicles driving on highways that snake around the airport, before plunging into the river.

Less than a month later on, on February 17, a Delta passenger plane crashed-landed upside down in disorderly scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

Miraculously, everyone on board made it through after being suspended upside-down by their seatbelts for a number of minutes until they tentatively started leaving.

The airplane had been heading to Toronto from Minneapolis - Saint Paul International Airport with 76 travelers and 4 team members on board.

Some 21 people were taken to the health center for treatment to small injuries, and Delta has actually offered everyone a no-strings $30,000 payment in settlement.

And the plane carnage is continuous - on Sunday, yet another jet crash-landed, this time in a parking area of a suburban Pennsylvania retirement community.

Dramatic video footage revealed the Beechcraft A36TC erupt in flames in the car park of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five individuals were rushed to healthcare facility.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency vehicles rushed to the scene in Lancaster County as flames engulfed the airplane and nearby vehicles.

The plane took off as arranged on Sunday afternoon, but rapidly requested to land back on the tarmac since its door had opened.

American Airlines